Marketing head quits toxic workplace after sudden pay cut; management ‘begging’ him to stay
He added that his team worked six days a week, often more during festive seasons, to keep campaigns running.
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A marketing head at a mid-sized, family-owned company in India has gone viral after revealing how poor management, micromanaging HR policies and a sudden salary restructuring drove him to resign — prompting the firm’s leadership to plead for him to stay.
In a Reddit post titled “I resigned. Now management is begging me to stay” on the r/IndianWorkplace subreddit, the employee described how a mix of unrealistic expectations, limited budgets and poor leadership created a toxic work environment. He said that despite competitors “outspending us like crazy,” the company’s directors offered little support or understanding of marketing metrics.
He added that his team worked six days a week — often more during festive seasons, to keep campaigns running. However, the tipping point came when the HR department converted 40 per cent of his salary into a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-linked structure without any prior discussion.
“I didn’t expect the HR to actually go through with it,” he wrote, explaining that his October salary dropped to just 70 per cent of his take-home pay. He resigned the very next day. Following his resignation, the management allegedly panicked and requested him to reconsider. Even after they offered to reverse the salary changes, he refused, stating that his trust in the organisation was completely broken.
The employee has since accepted an offer from an FMCG firm with a 20 per cent pay hike.
The post, which has drawn several reactions online, sparked wider discussion about workplace exploitation and HR overreach in Indian companies. Many Reddit users advised the employee not to return, warning that management might retaliate during future background checks. Others commented on the frequent disconnect between HR teams and employee welfare, calling them “the original disruptors of peaceful existence.”
The incident has become a cautionary tale about toxic workplace cultures and arbitrary salary policies, underscoring the growing frustration among marketing professionals facing heavy workloads and limited support from senior leadership.
